Phases of writing a scientific paper

Writing a scientific paper consists of several phases. However, these steps rarely follow this seemingly ideal order – you may often find yourself working on several stages in parallel and going back over what you have already done. Keep asking for feedback whenever possible and plan for several content revision phases.

Planning

• Find a topic
• Read up on the subject
• Define your research question
• Clarify the requirements
• Determine the research method
• Create a timeline

Structuring

• Conduct systematic research
• Create a preliminary outline
• Get feedback
• Revise the outline

Writing

• Take notes for each point in your outline
• Write a draft version

Revising

• Get feedback
• Revise the content
• Revise the language
• Adapt formatting to requirements
• Have someone proofread your work

Writing often seems like a lonely and overwhelming task – but it doesn’t have to be! A variety of resources can support you during the writing process: fellow students, writing groups, lecturers, the library, the writing center, and many more.

Shaping the revision process

Good texts often differ from bad ones only in how thoroughly they were revised. Plan at least a quarter to half of your available time for revisions.

The drafts of professionals may not look any different from yours – but they revise them more thoroughly and more often.

The Bietschorn model (Ulmi, Bürki, Verhein & Marti, 2014) offers six categories you can use to systematically revise your text:

1. Content: Are the topics, content, and research questions relevant and aligned? Is what you present factually and academically correct and proven by literature or your own research?
2. Thematic development: Is the thematic focus clear and consistent? Is the topic presented in a coherent and structured way? Are titles and headings meaningful and appropriate?
3. Information density and references: Does the assumed level of prior knowledge match the target audience? Are the references to the literature precise? Are assumptions clear and statements marked as such?
4. Reader guidance: Are text-structuring elements such as cross-references or interim summaries used effectively? Are there enough signals to help readers understand how the parts of the text relate to each other? Are terms introduced, defined if necessary, and used consistently?
5. Language: Are the sentences clear, concise, and easy to understand? Is the grammar correct? Is the choice of words appropriate? Have spelling and punctuation been checked and corrected?
6. Genre-specific requirements: Is your own position clearly recognizable? Have formal requirements for structure, length, citation, and references been met? How do you refer to yourself in the text (“I” / impersonal style) – does this match the requirements of the text and the expectations of your lecturers?

Tips for the writing process

Frequently asked questions

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Tips for time management in writing projects

• Determine your submission deadline and plan backwards from there.
• Create a list of tasks that need to be completed for the entire thesis.
• From this list, select upcoming tasks and break them down into smaller steps. Plan when each individual step is next and how long it will take.
• Schedule interim dates for individual work steps and writing phases and complete them consciously. These are your milestones, e.g. outline completed, draft finished.
• Plan each step specifically and realistically and reserve buffer times.
• Also consider other commitments such as exams, family, friends, leisure, work etc.
• Check your overall plan regularly and adjust it if necessary.
• Acknowledge what you have already accomplished.

Create an overall plan

Organize the individual work steps into a timeline and set milestones. Here is an example of a plan for a thesis over 12 weeks:

In life and writing, it is normal that we can’t always stick to plans. Plan anyway – and keep adapting your plan to reality.

Create a monthly plan

Make a plan for an entire month, roughly noting your weekly tasks. You can keep this list analog or digital, e.g. in Excel or a calendar of your choice.

Always plan a little extra time for safety.

Create a weekly plan

Especially for tasks that do not produce visible results straightaway, the Pomodoro Technique can help you visualize small progress and supports your:

• Time management
• Concentration
• Self-organization

Frequently asked questions

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Why plan a writing week?

This method has several advantages:

• You can discover what good writing means for you.
• You can improve your planning and time management, which in turn can motivate you to write.
• You can begin to see writing as an enjoyable activity.
• You can find your individual writing rhythm.

How to do it

Close your eyes and relax. In your mind, create the image of a week in which your writing has its place.

The week should be realistic, so that you also have time for other things – work, leisure, sleep etc.

Now look at this image in more detail. Zoom in on one day of your writing week – this is your ideal writing day.

Also picture your writing location with all senses: What do you hear? How is the light, what do you see when you let your gaze wander? What are you sitting on? What are you drinking? How does the air smell as it flows in through the open window?

Open your eyes again and sketch your ideal writing week and your ideal writing day.

The ideal image can change – depending on the occasion and type of text. Therefore, it is important to review changing conditions and preferences.

Literature: Scheuermann, Ulrike (2011): Die Schreibfitness-Mappe: 60 Checklisten, Beispiele und Übungen für alle, die beruflich schreiben. Vienna: Linde.

Franzi’s ideal writing week

Here is an example from a student working on their bachelor’s thesis:

Franzi’s ideal writing day

 

Frequently asked questions

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